Big Day
by iowahawx
Summary: Written for Paily week, sorry it's a little late, I only got the idea a few hours ago. Paige takes a chance and decides to visit Emily's dad and talk about an important decision she's made. It's rough so just consider this a kind of "Ramen Noodles for the Paily Soul" (Prompt - Day 1: Meet the Parents)


Paige was nervous. Her hands gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles and sweaty palms. She was going to see Emily's dad for the first time and she thought the 2-hour plus drive would give her enough time to steady her nerves. After all, she'd been with Emily for five years, it's not like this day was never going to come.

The day was just breaking and the sun was just peeking over the horizon as she travelled south on Interstate 83, away from Philadelphia toward Virginia. It was going to be the perfect afternoon for her graduation from Penn and just thinking about walking across the stage to receive her diploma filled her with a mix of disbelief and anxiety. Disbelief at how far she's come…just a few years ago she didn't think she'd even be alive, much less heading into the future with an Ivy League diploma in hand. And as for the anxiety, well, she is Paige McCullers and her feet didn't always communicate well with her brain. In the pool she was rewarded for her big feet and straight-ahead aggression but out of the water she had to pay close attention to those things below her ankles. Graceful she was not.

Just as her mind started wondering in horror how many hits her graduation nose dive would get on YouTube, she remembered to turn her attention to the road and the lukewarm cup of coffee at her side. She took a sip and hoped she got there early enough so she didn't almost immediately have to return to Philly after visiting Emily's father Wayne. Rushing through the day would only make her more nervous and stressed out. And today was not one Paige wanted to rush through.

Setting her coffee aside, she glanced down at the console of her car. A baby blue Tiffany ring box rested there, almost mocking her, setting her heartbeat to an even more frantic pace. Was she doing the right thing? Planning a grand gesture on such an important day was a really stupid idea, in retrospect. How the hell was she going to pull this off?

Every time Paige's head went to that place of darkness and indecision, only one thing pulled her out of her self-inflicted misery: Emily. Just thinking about her pulled Paige off her panicky ledge. Her breathing slowed and her mind cleared. They'd been through so much, packing a lifetime of heartbreak and loss into just a few years. It was so unfair what Emily had been forced to endure. Paige did the best she could to help her navigate through those painful times but sometimes she was positive got more from the relationship than Emily did.

Emily was the balm to her soul – always had been and, as Paige again glanced at the box, always would be.

She reached her turnoff more quickly than she realized and only after the stale, British accent of her GPS system reminded her to "turn off the motorway." She executed a few more turns and merges, eternally grateful for the directions from her stiff-assed Brit of an electronic road map. She sighed in relief when the gadget announces "You have arrived at your destination."

Grabbing the ring box and a paper sack from the front seat, Paige locked the car and jogged to the Visitor's Center to get information to find Mr. Fields. One of the workers gave her directions and even provided a map with arrows and circles so she wouldn't get lost.

Paige exited the Visitor's Center and settled in for a short walk to Section 60, the area designated for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Lieutenant Colonel Fields' plot number was 60-11213 and thanks to the map it didn't take Paige long to find him.

As she walked the breeze settled the smell of fresh-cut grass tickled her nose. She thought it was amazing how well the place was maintained but at the same time she was choked up at the starkness of row after row of white headstones, each marked with the name, rank, and lifespan of each soldier resting there. Being interred at Arlington National Cemetery was a huge honor but Paige knew the choice of where to lay Wayne to rest was tough for Pam and Emily. Ultimately they decided he deserved to be buried alongside his comrades from the war. His wife and daughter came to visit often but this is the first time Paige made the trip herself.

Paige kneeled next to Wayne's marker. She only knew him in passing – he was gone so often and Emily always said it hurt too much to talk about him – but she knew him through his wife and daughter. He was an honorable man, slow to anger but quick to come to the defense of those he loved. Emily once said she was surprised by his reaction to her coming out but Paige wasn't surprised at all. A man who dedicated his life and career to his country along with raising such an amazing daughter would be a man should have been honored to know better.

But as it stood he had been gone almost two years. His unit was one of the last designated to ship out of Afghanistan when the U.S. pulled it's forced from the war-torn country and as is the case with impending "peace" the body count ratchets up until the last man or woman's boots are off the ground. An IED attack on Wayne's convoy took out the trucks they were riding in and as Lt. Col. Fields mobilized his unit to help sort out the wreckage for survivors he was hit by a rash of sniper fire from the surrounding hills.

Paige did everything she could to get Emily through the loss of her dad. Granted, Emily was a mess for days but when they went home she turned around almost immediately. Pam was an absolute mess and for the first time Emily was able to be the strong one for her mom. She pulled her along making arrangements for the memorial and graveside services while pushing down her own grief to store for a later time. Through the years Paige could see Emily's emotions well to the surface, especially on holidays and in airports, but one look, hug or kiss seemed to help her get through it.

The formality of asking for Emily's hand in marriage was probably in Pam's court for all intents and purposes. However, Paige knew both the Fields women would appreciate the lengths she took to honor Emily's dad. Leaving him out of the process was just wrong to Paige so she kneeled, then sat next to his headstone and spoke to him from her heart.

"Hello, Mr. Fields," she began. "I'm not going to do the whole introduction thing because you know who I am. I mean, we never actually talked or anything but I always figured…anyway, it's me, Paige.

"Today is a big day for me. I am graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. I worked really hard in class and I can't believe it but I'm going to grad school. Yeah, more school! Anyway, I am getting Communications degree and I hope to maybe become a professor or a teacher or something like that."

She runs her fingers through the short grass beside her. The Crayola green color almost makes her laugh – is it's color from real life? It's too perfect to be believed.

"As for Emily, she graduates from Drexel next week. She is going to PT school so we're both going to be hitting the books pretty hard the next few years. Oh, and I brought you this…" Paige removes a navy blue "Drexel Dragons" cap from the paper bag and sets it on the ground next to the marker. "She had a really awesome season, you would have been so proud of her."

Paige looks down at the cap then clears her throat.

"It's not good for a communications major to ramble on like this so I guess I can cut straight to the point." She removes the ring box from her pocket and holds delicately in both hands as she speaks.

"Mr. Fields. Your daughter is the most amazing person I've ever known. She stuck by me when I did some pretty stupid things in my past. I have loved her for years and I can't imagine my life without her beside me. She's my best friend and I owe so much to her. Lord knows she's not perfect but at the same time she's still perfect for me. So I was hoping it's okay with you if I asked her to marry me. Oh, here's the ring."

Paige opens the box and pulls a stunning engagement ring from inside. It glints in the sunlight and the sheer perfection of the stone takes Paige's breath away. Her nerves begin to return full force but a deep breath and a glance at Wayne's headstone calm her nerves.

"I just want you to know that I will take care of Emily. I won't promise I can be perfect but I will do my best to make sure she's happy and never wants for anything. We make a pretty kick-ass team and I hope you are able to see how happy we'll be from wherever you are."

She rises to her feet and puts the ring back in the box. Holding it in her hand she bends and places her other hand on the headstone.

"Thank you for your daughter, Mr. Fields."

And with that Paige slowly moves toward the front gate of the cemetery, girding herself for the next phase of her life…wait, check that…their life.


End file.
